Mushroom and Onion Tart

Serves : 4-6

Comments: This super-rich and filling recipe is adapted from one in "Sunday Suppers at Lucques."

 

Ingredients:

  • frozen puff pastry, enough for one 12-by-18-inch sheet, or two 12-by-9-inch sheets
  • 2 extra large egg yolks
  • 1 1/4 pounds wild mushrooms, cleaned
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large pinches freshly ground pepper
  • 2 small onions, sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta, drained if wet
  • 1/4 cup creme fraiche
  • 1/4 pound Gruyere cheese, grated

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Defrost the puff pastry, roll it out to the dimensions above (if necessary), and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a 1/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry. Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg yolk with 1/4 teaspoon water, and brush the egg wash along the scored pastry border. (You will not need all of the egg wash.) Return
the puff pastry to the freezer until you are ready to use it.

If the mushrooms are very large, tear them into large bite-sized pieces. (The mushrooms will shrink as they cook.)

Heat a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in 2 tablespoons olive oil, and then add in 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter foams, scatter slightly more than half of the mushrooms in the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a healthy pinch of ground pepper. Saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring very occasionally, until they are tender and somewhat crispy. (The cooking time will depend on a particular mushrooms you use.) Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a baking sheet, and repeat with the second half of the mushrooms. When the second batch of mushrooms are about halfway cooked, toss in the onions and the thyme. When the mushrooms are done, transfer the mushroom-onion mixture to the already cooked mushrooms.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, creme fraiche, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the remaining egg yolk. Spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry within the scored border. Place the Gruyere cheese over the ricotta mixture. Arrange the mushrooms and onions on top. (The tart will seem overly packed with mushrooms and onions, but the mixture will sink a bit as it is cooking.) If you aren't ready to bake your tart yet, you can cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 8 hours.

Bake the tart 20 to 25 minutes, orating the baking sheet after 10 minutes, until the crust is brown and the tart's interior is thoroughly hot. Lift the crust to peek underneath the make sure the crust is cooked through. (If you underbake the tart, it will be a little bit soggy on the bottom.)

Remove from oven, let cool about 5 minutes, and cut into pieces to serve.